Starting at a new school, yet again. At least this time she had friends with her. It was strange listening to her Uranohoshi classmates introduce themselves and realising she knew them all, even if some it was only a little. So many friends after only a year. She was still deep in thought as they sat down to eat lunch. The school merger meant that there were several Uranohoshi students joining every class, familiar faces almost everywhere she looked, yet still outnumbered by the new ones. The remaining Aqours and a couple of Uranohoshi friends had been joined by a few new girls eager to get to know the winning School Idols.

A new beginning. She had thought about it as she had stood up to introduce herself to the class, just as she had thought about it the times before. All her new classmates knew was that she was a winning school idol from Uranohoshi, a good start, but sitting in silence with her chattering friends she could feel the familiar pattern forming around her, 'the quiet girl'. Her books where full of stories of redefinition, of letting your inner free into the world. This was her chance to reveal that part of herself, and if it went badly she could play it off as a joke... protagonists did that all the time, cool and casual, that was the key. As they all stood up she hardened her resolve, turning to the girl beside her.

"I really like you. Would you go out with me?" The question was out... she was 'out'. She had said the first part to Chika before, but this was different, there was no ambiguity.

She had just asked Chika that in front of everyone...

..it wasn't cool and casual... it was sudden and and excessively public.

One look at the surprised expression on Chika's face told her she could never pass it off as a joke. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks.
"I'm sorry!" She ran from the room.

~o~

"You're getting pretty fast these days, I almost lost you"

Riko let out a sigh as she sat on the toilet inside the cubicle. She should have known Chika would give chase.

"Are you ok?"

"Everybody heard, didn't they"

"Not everyone..." Chika's voice tailed off as she tried to figure out how to spin it.

"I can't believe I did that"

"It was just a bit of a surprise"

"It's not everyday you find out your friend is a lesbian"

"Um... You do realise we all already guessed that part, right?"

Riko put her face in her hands.
"I-" The other bit was worse, she wasn't sure she could face Chika again, and she certainly couldn't think what to say to fix it.

"So are you coming out of there any time soon? Or are you planning to wait out the year?"

"Is that an option?"

"It would make it pretty hard for us to go out on a date"

After a brief silence the cubicle door opened a crack and Riko looked out
"Really?"

"For a moment there I wondered if this year it was going to be you chasing me," Chika searched her face checking the reaction, "but then I realised that wouldn't work, because I couldn't think of a reason why I would run away" Seeing a nervous smile she took Riko's hand and led her out of the stall.

"So I was wondering, about last year-"

"My confession?" Riko blushed deeply.

"Ok there's that, but actually I was going to ask, right at the beginning, when you kept running away, was it because you really didn't want to become an idol, or because you wanted me to chase you?"

Riko swallowed nervously and looked down at her feet
"Maybe both"

Chika laughed
"Fair enough"

"Well, I think they all understand that it was a joke, now" Yō strode into the room. She looked at them, taking in the flushed cheeks and linked hands. "... and I'm going to have to convince them that the joke story was a joke"

She was answered by relieved laughter.